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The Union of the Spirit We Have (Part 4) · Near East Christian Fellowship Sermons

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Welcome to NECF Sermons. Each message here is
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designed to uplift and strengthen you in your
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walk with God. Don't miss out. Stay with us until
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the end for a rewarding experience. Let's dive
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right in. Praise the Lord. We are all welcome
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to church today. Today we are going to continue
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with what we do. teaching from on Sunday, which
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is the union of the spirits we have. We read
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Matthew 28, verses 18 to 20. And Jesus came and
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spoke to them, saying, All authority has been
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given to me in heaven and on earth. Go, therefore,
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and make disciples of all nations, baptizing
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them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
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the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all
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the things I've commanded, and lo, I meet you
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always, even to the end of the age. Praise the
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Lord. And we saw from Sunday that saying to them
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to baptize in the name of the Father, the Son,
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and the Spirit was not something strange to the
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disciples, because that has been part of the
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doctrine that Jesus has been teaching to them.
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Praise the Lord. This has always been the doctrine
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that Jesus had taught to them, so they were not
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confused about what he meant when he says, baptizing
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them in the name of the Father, the Son, and
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the Spirit. We looked at so many things, and
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we said part of it is that the church is a Bible
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school, and we saw the significance of Jordan,
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which John the Baptist... was baptizing. We saw
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that in Acts chapter 1, Acts chapter 1 verse
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5. It said, For John truly baptized with water,
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for you shall be baptized with the Holy Spirit
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not many days from now. Praise the Lord. And
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we looked at why John, who John is and why he
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baptized, or why he was baptizing the people.
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Praise the Lord. We looked at the significance
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of Jordan. Right? Why did he go to Jordan to
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baptise them? Why didn't he use another river?
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Just like Naaman was asking, are there no other
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waters that he can dip himself into? Why Jordan?
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And we said that Jordan is an illustration of
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new things to come, or is an announcement that
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new things have arrived. Praise the Lord. It
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is an announcement that new things have arrived.
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And we're going to continue today from that same
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place of Jordan being a second Exodus, I said.
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It's God renewing His covenant in spite of the
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disobedience of the children of Israel. Deuteronomy
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chapter 13 verse 29. Sorry, Numbers. Maybe he
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didn't see that. Numbers chapter 13, verse 29.
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Numbers chapter 13. Yes, sorry, I made a mistake.
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He said, The Amalekites dwelt in the land of
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the south, the Hittite, the Jebusites, and the
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Amorites dwelt in the mountains, and the Canaanites
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dwelt by the sea along the bank of Jordan. Numbers
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chapter 22, verse 1. Numbers 22, verse 1. Then
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the children of Israel moved and camped in the
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plain of Moab, on the side of Jordan, across
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Jericho. And then Numbers chapter 26, verse 3.
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Numbers 26, verse 3. It says, So Moses and Eliezer
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the priest spoke with them in the plain of Moab,
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or by the Jordan, across Jericho, saying, 63.
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Verse 63 now. So we also see here, it talks about
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the children of Israel also are all the way by
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the camp of Jordan. So we also saw here as well
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that what? To camp at the plain of Ur by the
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Jordan across Jericho. And Numbers 32 verse 5.
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It says, therefore, if Therefore they said, if
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you have found favor in your sight, let this
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land be given to your servant as a possession.
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Do not take us over to Jordan. And the number
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is 14, verse 28. So all these things we're reading
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are pre -crossing, before they cross over, right?
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14, 28. Okay, so the... The generation or this
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generation before crossing, they all perished
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in the wilderness. As we know, right, they all
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perished in the wilderness after 40 years. Deuteronomy
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chapter 9 verse 1. Deuteronomy chapter 9 verse
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1. They say, here O Israel, you are to cross
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over the Jordan today and go. to dispossess the
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nation greater and mightier than yourselves,
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cities great and fortified up to heaven. And
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then Deuteronomy 4 .22. This is Moses speaking.
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Deuteronomy 4 .22. But I will die in this land,
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and I must not cross over the Jordan, but you
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shall cross over and possess that good land.
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Deuteronomy 30 .18. He said, I announce to you
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today that you shall surely perish. You shall
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not prolong your days in the land which you cross
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over the Jordan to go in and possess. Praise
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the Lord. So, Jordan, we said, or I was saying,
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is what an illustration of the crossing into
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promise. Praise the Lord. It is an illustration.
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of crossing into promise. But then why the Jordan?
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We also saw the same thing that the Red Sea also
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represented crossing into God's plan for the
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children of Israel or God's intention towards
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the children of Israel. So why do Jordan and
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the Red Sea play similar role into something
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that speaks of God's promise? And we said that
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that generation were disobedient. They do not
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believe, right? They do not believe what God
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said. They do not believe the message that God
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had given them. They do not believe God and we
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are stopped. Is it because of their unbelief
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that God stopped them or they said they were
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not going? What do you think? Is it because of
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their unbelief that they did not cross over or
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they decided they were not going? Okay. So in
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their unbelief, they perished in the wilderness.
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So God is renewing his covenant, renewing his
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word. And so in renewing his words, he gave them
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another Passover, right? Another baptism, if
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you like. Praise the Lord. So when they passed
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through the sea, right? That is what happened,
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right? They were baptized into it. In other words,
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for example, Pharaoh and his host, When they
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attempted doing that, they all perished. Praise
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the Lord. Because they were not of God's plan.
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Praise the Lord. So they perished, right, in
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the Red Sea when they tried to cross over. They
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were not faithful. They did not believe, that
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is the children of Israel, they were not faithful
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and they did not believe what the prophet has
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said or what God has said to them. So we see
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in Romans chapter 3, verse 3 to 4, Romans chapter
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3. Verse 3 to 4. For what if some did not believe?
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Would their unbelief make the faithfulness of
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God without effect? Certainly not. Indeed, let
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God be true and let every man be a liar, as it
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is written, that you may be justified in your
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word and will be overcome when you are judged.
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Praise the Lord. And may be overcome when you
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are judged. So, what the Jordan represents. Like
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I said, it represented a new covenant. A new
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covenant. Right? We can say a new exodus. Right?
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A new exodus. A new generation. A new generation.
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Deuteronomy chapter 30, verses 5 to 6. We see
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that the Jordan, it said, Then the Lord your
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God will bring you to the land which your fathers
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The Lord your God will bring you to the land
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which your fathers possessed, and you shall possess
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it. He will prosper you and multiply more than
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your fathers. And then we see also that he's
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speaking about a new generation. Now, so the
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Jordan represents a new generation, right? He
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represents a new generation. These ones were
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not the ones that perished. We see also that
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in verse, that same place, verse 11 to 12. 11
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to 12. For this commandment which I've commanded
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you today is not too mysterious for you, nor
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is it far off. It is not in heaven that you should
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say, who will ascend into the heaven for us and
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to bring it that we may hear it. and do it. Praise
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the Lord. So as we know that Moses went up to
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the mountain to get the law. So he's saying that
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that does not need to happen again. Praise the
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Lord. That does not need to happen again. You
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will not say who will go into the heavens or
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who will go to the mountains to go and hear God
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for us or go and bring us the hard desires of
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God. That does not need to happen now. Praise
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the Lord. That does not need to happen. You will
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not say who will go into heaven or who will watch
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beyond the sea. Verse 13. Now is it beyond the
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sea that you should say? Who would go over the
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sea for us and bring it to us that we may hear
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it and do it? Praise the Lord. Where else do
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we find these scriptures? That's why Paul will
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go and talk about the abyss. That is where the
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dead are. Romans chapter 10 verse 8. Romans chapter
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10, Romans chapter 10, from verse 5 to 8. That
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is to bring Christ up from the dead. But what
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does this say? The word is near you in your mouth
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and in your heart. That is the word of faith
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which we preach. It says it is near you. It is
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in your heart that you may hear it. Praise the
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Lord. That is God's covenant. That means that
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God's plan is not, as we said, that God's plan
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is not a thing or a land. We are not looking
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forward to a land. Praise the Lord. God's plan
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is not a thing or a land. It is in his word.
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Praise the Lord that you may do it. He said it
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is near you. Praise the Lord. It is in his word
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that you may do it. So it is a new covenant.
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So in Deuteronomy, we see that there is a new
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covenant, right? We also notice that when Jesus
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was tempted by the devil, he also went to that
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place. to also quote to the devil. This is what
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he was quoting to him. Deuteronomy chapter 8
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verse 3. Deuteronomy chapter 8 verse 3. So he
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humbled you, allowed you to hunger, fed you with
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manna. You did not know, nor did your fathers
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know, that he might make you know that man shall
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not live by bread alone, but man shall live by
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every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
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Deuteronomy chapter 6, verse 16. Deuteronomy
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6, verse 16. You shall not tempt the Lord your
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God as you tempt him in Massa. Verse 18. You
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shall do what is right and do good in the sight
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of the Lord, that it may be well with you, that
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you may go in and possess the good land which
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the Lord swore to your fathers. Verse 13. You
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shall fear the Lord your God and serve him, and
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shall make oaths in his name. Verse 4 and 5 now.
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Hear, O Israel, the Lord our God, the Lord is
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one. Verse 5. You shall love the Lord your God
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with all your heart, with all your soul, and
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with all your strength. So Jordan represented
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a new covenant. a new exodus, a new generation.
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So John the Baptist went to Jordan because the
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old nation of Israel were expecting a Messiah
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and deliverance. Praise the Lord. He went to
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Jordan because of what he represents. He went
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to Jordan because he represented a new covenant,
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that something new has come. Praise the Lord.
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So he went there because the people were expecting
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the Messiah and they were expecting deliverance.
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So when he went to the Jordan, he said, I am
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that voice. Quoting Isaiah and Malachi. He said,
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I am that voice. I am that voice. Which means
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they are waiting for someone. Praise the Lord.
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They were waiting for a Savior. So he went to
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Jordan for that purpose. He's that voice that
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says, prepare the way of the Lord. Praise the
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Lord. He's that voice in the wilderness that
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says that your salvation has come. He's that
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voice in the wilderness that said, behold your
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God, O Israel. Praise the Lord. So going to Jordan,
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they knew what that meant. Praise the Lord. They
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were expecting a savior and he represented new
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things. So they came that they may see God. Praise
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the Lord. Remember we said that it was not land
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that. They're already in the land. Praise the
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Lord. So why are they going to Jordan? Praise
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the Lord. They were already in the land, right,
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that they should be in. But they were expecting
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a savior. They were expecting something else.
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They were not expecting land. Praise the Lord.
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They were already in the land. They have passed
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the Jordan. They have crossed over. They're already
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in the land. But what? They were still in bondage,
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right? They were still in bondage. They were
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still under mystery. They were still waiting
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for redemption. It means that the redemption
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was never land. Praise the Lord. It means that
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the redemption that they were promised was never
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land. You must not go and possess the land and
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that is your savior or that is how you are delivered.
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Praise the Lord. They were already in the land.
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It was a person they were expecting. They were
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expecting someone. It was a person. And they
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knew it. They knew all along that someone was
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coming. Praise the Lord. The issue was not the
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land. That the land was representing or illustrating
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God's word. It was an illustration of God's word.
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So John went to Jordan simply saying, a new Exodus
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is here. A new covenant is here. A new generation.
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So what does the baptism then mean by dipping
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them in the waters? John simply is saying that
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there is a new experience. By dipping them in
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the water, he's saying that there is a new experience.
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There is a new covenant. There is a new experience.
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There is a new covenant. So why were they confessing
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their sins? Again, Christian, you would ask,
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why were they confessing their sins? Do not forget.
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The reason for the Jordan is because of their
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unbelief or the reason why some of them could
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not cross to Jordan or the people that disbelieved
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God could not cross was because of unbelief,
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iniquity, disobedience to God. So they knew that
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the reason for the new covenant or the new exodus
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was their disobedience. So all of them came along.
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So by publicly coming along, That is what it
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means to confess your sins. That's what they
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were saying, by confessing your sins. He was
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not saying that, you know, I insulted Takunda
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yesterday, and I came here, God forgive that
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insult. Praise the Lord. That's not what they
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are saying. They were not publicly, they were
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not confessing their sins, as in to say that
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they have wronged someone, right? They were coming
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to John, which is what? confessing their sins
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because they did something publicly to affirm
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and to show their belief publicly to the new
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things that is come so by coming to john they
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are showing that they are publicly affirming
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john's ministry so john the baptist or the baptism
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of john is an illustration of a new exodus a
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new generation a new priesthood a new servanthood
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so the baptism enveloped a new walk, a new responsibility,
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a Messiah, a new Exodus. So when Jesus said in
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Acts 1, verse 5, that John truly baptized with
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water, but he will baptize you with the Holy
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Spirit, do we think he's talking about them being
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born again? Acts 1, verse 5. Acts 1, verse 5.
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For John truly baptized with water, but you shall
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be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days
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from now. Was he talking about being born again?
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So he was not talking about being born again.
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Right? Why? Verse 8 now says something. Verse
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8 of chapter 1. He said, but you shall receive
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power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you
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and you shall be witnesses to me in Jerusalem.
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in Judea, in Samaria, and to the end of the earth.
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There shall be witnesses unto him. He's saying
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that that responsibility that Israel was supposed
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to do, that is to bring men to God or to show
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men to God, that responsibility that God gave
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them that they did not believe or did not accept,
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that responsibility has come to them. In Jerusalem,
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they will start, he says. in Judea, in Samaria,
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and ends of the earth. That responsibility that
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Israel failed at. So this is a ministry. It means
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that where Israel failed as a nation, Christ
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is building or is building a new one. Where Israel
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failed, Christ is building a new one. And he's
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not building individuals. He's not building,
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oh, you are a, you are a... let's say Gentile
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or something. He's not saying that, oh, Israelite,
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but he's building a people. You'll be witnesses
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unto me in Jerusalem, in Judea, in Samaria, and
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the ends of the earth. And we looked at this
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when the last time we met, we talked about this,
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that Jerusalem, right, is a city of what? Of
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David that mirrors or shows Melchizedek. Praise
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the Lord. So therefore, the baptism of John,
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right, in Acts chapter 1, from verse 4 to 3,
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refers to a new servanthood. There's something
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new that is coming, or something new that is
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done. So they asked him in verse 6 of that act.
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They said, therefore, when they had come together,
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they asked him, saying, Lord, will you at this
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time restore the kingdom to Israel? Praise the
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Lord. So they were asking him that, does it mean
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that the thing that they failed in, or Israel
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failed in, would they now do it now? Praise the
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Lord. Would Israel now take up that same responsibility
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that they failed at? Would Israel become that
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place where people would come from all over the
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world to come and worship? Would they rule again?
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Will they be the world power? Will they be the
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people that control the affairs of the world?
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Will they be in power? So will everybody come
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to Israel? Will everybody come to Jerusalem?
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Will they come there for worship? He says, no.
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He said, you are the one that will go. When you
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go, you will be a witness unto me in Jerusalem.
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Praise the Lord. He said, no. The power is not
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coming to Israel. The power is coming to you.
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It is you that will go to Jerusalem. It is you
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that will go to Judea. It is you that will go
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to Samaria. It is you who will go to the ends
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of the earth. Praise the Lord. The thing is not
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coming back to Israel so that they can do that
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which they failed in. That was not his original
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intention, as we saw from the first time I started
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teaching about this, that it is for all the earth.
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So that kingdom that they were referring to,
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that is, will God restore it to them, that thing
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was what? It was God's allowance. It's by permission.
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It's a privilege. God gave them an opportunity
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to do something. God allowed it. Praise the Lord.
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God allowed it for His plan, but they failed
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at it. So it was not His will, because His will
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is that all men are saved and all men represent
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Him. So we also see that Israel at some point
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were asking for a king. They were asking Samuel
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that Samuel should give them a king in Deuteronomy
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17. And it was Moses prophesied about it that
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a time will come, that is in Deuteronomy 17,
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where they will ask for a king like other nations.
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They will say that they want to become like other
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people. Why can't we be like other people? And
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he told them that those kings would demand that
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they go to war. They will multiply their sorrows.
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They will take many wives. They will make their
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sons soldiers. Different, different things. But
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they said, it's okay. We want kings like other
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nations. He will make you pay tax. He will make
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you work for him. You'll be his gardeners. You'll
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do so many things for him. Praise the Lord. But
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they said, we want a king. But who is the king?
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Who is the king that they failed to acknowledge?
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They failed to acknowledge God. That God is the
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king. Melchizedek, the king of righteousness
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and peace. We see in Genesis chapter 14, verse
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19 to 20, and he said, blessed be Abraham, or
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Abraham of the most high, possessor of heaven
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and the earth. And he says, blessed be the most
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high God who is the possessor of heaven and the
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earth. So we see an earthly king bowing to God.
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right? Saying, blessed be God, what? Blessed
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be the most high God, who is the possessor of
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heaven and on earth, the king of kings, the king
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of righteousness, the king of peace, not the
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king of war, not the king that will bring his
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people to slavery, not the king that will demand
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that the people serve him in such a way that
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is humiliating. So we see here, even when the
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children of Israel were involved in a lot of
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war, that God was calling them as well. Exodus
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chapter 19, verse 5. Exodus. Now, therefore,
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if you will indeed obey my voice and keep my
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covenant, then you shall be a special treasure
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to me above all the people, for all the earth
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is mine. Verse 6. He said, you shall be... To
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me, a kingdom of priests and a holy nation. These
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are the words which you shall speak to the children
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of Israel. The kingdom of priests is Malak Kohen
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is the word. M -A -M -K, sorry, M -A -M -L -A
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-K -E and then Kohen, K -O -H -E -N. A kingdom
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of priests. So where do we have a priest serving
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a king or a nation? Right? A king always rules.
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Right? Why would there be a kingdom of priests?
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Right? A king always rules. Right? Where do we
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have king and a priest? We have that in Melchizedek
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when he came to Abraham. He served Abraham. Melchizedek
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shows God's kind of kingship, right? A king who
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serves. He said you will be a kingdom of priests.
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So it means that the Exodus Israel will be a
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new generation. A kingdom of priests. It means
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the whole nation were supposed to be ministers.
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Praise the Lord. The whole nation were supposed
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to be ministers. Exodus chapter 4 verse 22. Exodus
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chapter 4, verse 22. Now you shall say to Pharaoh,
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thou says the Lord, Israel is my son, my first
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son. And verse 23 says, So I say to you, let
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my son go, that he may serve me. But if you refuse
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to let him go, indeed I will kill your son and
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your first son. Praise the Lord, that my son
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will serve me. So it means that Exodus, is also
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for service, right? It is also for service that
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they may serve him. So the baptism of John is
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a pointer to a new Exodus, a new generation,
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a new priesthood, a new minister, a new type
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of service. Praise the Lord. A new type of service,
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a different kind of priest, a different kind
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of king. It is for service that you serve. Praise
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the Lord. It is for service that you serve. Like
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we said, the thing that happened on the day of
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the Pentecost was not that they became born again.
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That is not what happened. We are very familiar
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with the Passover, right? So, the Pentecost was
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when the law was given, as we know from the Old
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Testament, right? Pentecost is what? The feast
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of ingathering. Leviticus chapter 23. Leviticus
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chapter 23. You have the Passover, the living
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bread, and then you have the Pentecost. Verse
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16 to 17. Leviticus chapter 23, verse 16 to 17.
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Let's count 50 days to the day after the 70th.
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or the seventh Sabbath, that you may, then you
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shall offer a grain offering to the Lord. You
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shall bring from your dwelling two wave heifers
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of two tenths, sorry, you shall bring from your
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dwelling two wave loafers of two tenths of an
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heifer. They shall be fine flour, they shall
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be baked with leaven, they are the first fruit
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to the Lord. Verse 17. Pentacles simply means
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fifth. Right? Exodus chapter 3 verse... Exodus
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23 verse 16. First fruits of your labor. We'll
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see it there. Fruit of the harvest. Fruit of
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the harvest. Exodus chapter 23 verse 16. The
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feast of the harvest. And the feast of the harvest,
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the first fruits of your labor which you have
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sown in the field. The feast of ingathering at
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the end of the year. When you have gathered in
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the fruits of your labor from the fields. Praise
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the Lord. The feast of the harvest. So what it
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means is that Pentecost is about bringing fruit.
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Right? It's about bringing fruit. It's about
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bringing fruit. Praise the Lord. So when the
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disciples were empowered, they were supposed
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to be doing what? He says them to go to Jerusalem.
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To go and bring what? To bring that which belongs
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to God. Praise the Lord. To go and bring that
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which belongs to God. It's about evangelism.
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It is not about being born again because they
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were born again already. John chapter 20 verse
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22. John 20, 22. And when he has said this, he
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breathed on them and said to them, receive. The
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Holy Spirit. Luke chapter 24, verse 52. Luke
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24, 52. We see here that they worshipped him
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when he left. They worshipped him and returned
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to Jerusalem with great joy. Praise the Lord.
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People who somebody is leaving, where they supposed
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to rejoice? Praise the Lord. Praise the Lord.
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There is an understanding that they have. They
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returned to Jerusalem with joy, with great joy,
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great joy. Luke, verse 29 of that place, 49 and
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45 of Luke 24. Behold, I send the promise of
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my Father upon you, for tarry in the city of
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Jerusalem until you are endued with power from
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on high. Verse 45. And they opened their understanding
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that they may comprehend. the scriptures, that
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they may understand the scriptures. Mark chapter
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16, verse 14. Mark chapter 16, verse 14. Later,
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he appeared to the eleven as a sat at a table,
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and he rebuked their unbelief and had less of
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heart, because they did not believe those who
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had seen him after he had reasoned. Praise the
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Lord. In that John chapter 22, 20, verse 22,
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he said he breathed out on them, right? It's
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also the same thing that was also emphasised
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in Genesis 2 .7. So, in that Luke 24, we have
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the new birth, then baptism of the Spirit, referring
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to ministry upon us, and then we have the Spirit
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upon, found in Genesis 1 .2. Let's go to Genesis
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1 .2. I think this has been taught before. Genesis
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1 verse 2. The earth was without form and void,
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and darkness was over the face of the deep, and
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the Spirit of God was hovering over the face
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of the waters. Right? The face of the waters.
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Sometimes that waters is referred to as nations.
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Right? The Spirit of the Lord was upon the waters.
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God's voice. God's utterance in the nations of
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the earth. Genesis 3, verse 8. He's talking about
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the voice of God walking in the cool of the day.
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Then they heard the sound of the Lord walking
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in the cool of the day. And Adam and his wife
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hid themselves from the presence of the Lord
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among the trees of the garden. Praise the Lord.
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So, in the cool of the day. So, God's Spirit,
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just as Genesis, in Genesis chapter... 1 verse
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3 talks about him, light beginning to shine.
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So the Spirit is upon the nations. So the Spirit
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upon is to bring light to the nation. Genesis
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chapter 1 verse 3. Genesis 1 verse 3. He said,
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Then the Lord said, Let there be light, and there
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was light. Like I said, when he says over the
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face of the waters, I said that sometimes those
34:43
is referred to as The nations. Praise the Lord.
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So the Spirit of God brings light to the nation
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to know God, that they may know God. The Spirit
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is to quench every darkness. Praise the Lord.
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The Spirit of God is to quench every darkness.
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So when you find the Spirit of God upon, we have
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the Spirit of God, right? Or the Spirit that
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was promised in Genesis. This means a new covenant.
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A new covenant has emerged. Praise the Lord.
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So God's intention is that His Spirit is among
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us. Praise the Lord. That we have the Spirit
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of God in the inside of us. Everyone. Not just
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to a particular people, but everyone. Praise
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the Lord. That is God's intention. And those
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who carry out those plans of bringing God's Spirit
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upon people are taxed with this. Genesis chapter
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2, verses 1 to 3, talking about how in creation,
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it said, The heavens and the earth and all the
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land had finished, verse 2, and the seventh day
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the Lord ended His work which He had done, and
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He rested on the seventh day from all His work
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which He had done, verse 3. And the Lord blessed
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the seventh day and sanctified it, because in
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it he rested from all his work which God has
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created and made. Right? So the engagement of
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what God has done, right, to quench what? The
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darkness that we see in Genesis chapter 1, verse
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2. The Spirit of God hovered over the waters.
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Or you can say the Spirit of God, right, over
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the nations. The people in darkness have seen
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a great light. Praise the Lord. The people in
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darkness have seen a great light. That is what
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Jesus has come to bring us. The gathering of
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God's children. So Acts chapter 2 verse 4. Acts
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chapter 2 verse 4. And they were filled with
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the Holy Spirit and began to speak with other
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tongues as the Spirit gave them utterance. Again,
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we'll notice that in Acts, in some of the places
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there, most of these things were done in gatherings
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where people were. Praise the Lord. These things
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were done in gatherings where people were. Acts
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chapter 8, verse 14 to 15. Acts 8, verse 14 to
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15. When the apostles who were at Jerusalem heard
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that Samaria had received the word of God, they
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sent Peter and John to them. who, when they had
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come down, prayed for them that they may receive
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the Holy Spirit. Verse 18 and 19. When Simon
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saw that through the laying of the apostles'
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hands the Holy Spirit was given, he offered them
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money. Verse 19. And saying, Give me the power
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also that anyone on whom I lay my hands may receive
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the Holy Spirit. Acts chapter 10, verse 44 to
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45. Acts chapter 10, 44 to 45. So, speaking of
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when the Holy Spirit had come upon them. When
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Paul was still speaking these words, the Holy
38:19
Spirit fell upon all those who had the word.
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Those of the circumcision who believed were astonished
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as many came. As many came with Peter because
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the gift of the Holy Spirit had been poured out
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on the Gentiles also. Acts chapter 19, verse
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5 to 6. Acts chapter 19, verse 5 to 6. When they
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had this, they were baptized in the name of the
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Lord Jesus. When Paul had laid hands on them,
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the Holy Spirit came upon them, and they spoke
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with songs and prophesied. Acts chapter 2, verse
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1 to 4. All we see here is the Holy Spirit upon
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them. Praise the Lord. When the day of Pentecost
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had fully come, they were all with one accord
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in one place. And suddenly there came a sound
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from heaven as of a rushing mighty wind, and
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it filled the whole house where they were sitting.
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Verse 3. And it appeared to them divided thongs
39:25
of fire, and sat on each of them. And they were
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filled with the Holy Spirit and began to speak
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with other tongues as the Holy Spirit, as the
39:36
Spirit gave them utterance, the Spirit upon.
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What we see here is what? The Spirit upon. And
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we see that Peter stood up, right, and preached
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in verse 38. And we'll see what he says to them.
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And Peter said to them, repent. And let every
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one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ
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for the remission of sin, that you may receive
40:04
the gift of the Spirit. Praise the Lord. It says
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what they should repent and be baptized. Praise
40:12
the Lord. Verse 39. Now, for the promise is what
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is to you and your children and to all who are
40:24
what are far off. As many as the Lord our God
40:28
will call. Praise the Lord. The promise is to
40:31
who? It's to you and your children and to all
40:37
who are far off. So he's saying to them that
40:39
the promise is for everybody. Praise the Lord.
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The promise is for everybody. We read Acts chapter
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8 that talked about when they had it, when they
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had the war, they sent Peter and John to them
40:52
that they may receive. the Holy Spirit. Why?
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Why would they send them to go and pray for them
40:59
that they may receive the Holy Spirit? Because
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they were not supposed to believe and be sitting
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in their houses. Praise the Lord. They were supposed
41:10
to believe and be empowered for the work of ministry.
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Praise the Lord. So the Holy Spirit is what empowers
41:20
us forward for the work of ministry. To carry
41:24
on a tax. Right? Why would they do that? He says,
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for them and to all who are far off. To their
41:31
children and to those who are far off. It's for
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everybody. That they may carry on a tax. We see
41:38
in Acts chapter 10, the house of Calenius. Right?
41:41
The same thing. Acts chapter 20, verse 20. As
41:44
well. John chapter 3. John chapter 2. Let's look
41:50
at something else. John. Now, the Passover of
42:00
the Jews were at hand, and Jesus went up to Jerusalem.
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Now, speaking about He drove people from the
42:04
temple, another story. He found in the temple
42:07
those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves, and the
42:12
money changers doing business. When He had made
42:17
a weep of corn, He drove them all out of the
42:20
temple with the sheep. the oxen, and poured out
42:24
the exchanger's money and overthrew their tables.
42:27
16. And he said to those who sold those, Take
42:31
these things away. Do not make my father's house
42:34
a house of merchandise. 17. And his disciples
42:39
remembered what was written, The zeal for your
42:43
house has eaten me up. Praise the Lord. So, if
42:49
you read carefully, you will know that It was
42:52
Moses who saw them, gave them instruction concerning
42:57
selling things at the temple, right? So that
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people from afar off do not need to carry their,
43:03
for example, they are coming from, let's say,
43:05
the Utopian eunuch. They don't need to carry
43:08
animals from his country to come. They could
43:11
just come to the temple and buy them. So he gave
43:14
those directives to them, right? Rather than
43:18
bringing animals, they can buy it from the temple,
43:21
those who come from a long journey. They can
43:23
just come with money and get it at the temple.
43:26
They can buy and use it for the sacrifice that
43:30
was given. So Moses gave that instruction and
43:33
they continued doing that. Now, Matthew chapter
43:38
21, verse 13. Matthew chapter 21, verse 13. And
43:43
he said to them, it is written, my father's house
43:44
shall be called a house of prayers, but you have
43:47
made it a den. of thieves. Praise the Lord. When
43:51
he says a den of thieves, right? It was referencing
43:54
to Jeremiah chapter 7. When he says den of thieves,
44:00
he's not saying that they were stealing something.
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Are we aware of that? He's not saying that, for
44:05
example, they were stealing money from the temple
44:07
or they were stealing candles from the temple
44:10
or they were stealing the garment of the priest.
44:15
When he says den of thieves. right, is the word
44:21
to, is a word to, is a word parit, P -A -R -A
44:27
-R -I -T -S, P -A -R -I -T -S. It means like
44:32
violence or they use it for, you know, there's
44:37
some people that President Tinibu has jailed
44:41
for trying to dethrone him. The military, you
44:43
know, they do, you see, they call it coup d 'etat.
44:47
Right? It's the same word that is used in that
44:50
way. Right? We can find these words in many scriptures.
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Let me just give you the scriptures. Ezekiel
44:56
chapter 7 verse 22, Ezekiel 18 10, Daniel 11
45:01
4, Isaiah 35 verse 9. Right? It means that they
45:08
were not the original occupant of the place.
45:12
Right? They just came and took the place. Right?
45:16
It means that they made that place a mainstay.
45:20
You know, the purpose of the house is no longer
45:22
what it means. Praise the Lord. They have turned
45:25
it to something else. That's why he said they
45:27
are den of thieves. They turned it to something
45:30
else. It's not that they were stealing something.
45:31
They have turned it to something else. Right?
45:36
So when we say, some scripture will say, den
45:39
of robbers. It didn't mean that they were coming
45:41
there with guns or they were coming there with
45:43
knives. That's not what it means. It means that
45:45
they have changed the purpose of the house of
45:48
God to something else. That has become the main
45:51
thing. Praise the Lord. That has become the main
45:56
thing. It's the same thing that we see in John
45:58
chapter 10, when Jesus was talking about being
46:00
the good shepherd. He said the thief and the
46:02
robber, they come through another place. Praise
46:05
the Lord. They climb through the window. When
46:10
he said that they come through the window, it
46:12
doesn't mean that they were carrying guns coming
46:13
there. Right? It means that they were not supposed
46:16
to be there. Right? That's why he's saying that
46:19
the thief and the robber were not supposed to
46:21
be there. So we also see the example of Barabbas.
46:26
Barabbas in John chapter 18 verse 4. Right? That
46:30
he was a robber. And we saw the kind of robber
46:33
he was. He's trying to change the government.
46:36
Right? He's inciting people to do something different.
46:40
That's the kind of robber that he was. He's trying
46:45
to remove the government, right? So he said,
46:48
my father's house is a house of prayer for all
46:51
nations. But you have made it a hiding place
46:55
or you have made it what is ought not to be there.
46:58
You have changed the purpose of the place. The
47:01
issue is that they have made permanent what is
47:04
supposed to be temporal. What is supposed to
47:07
be, as you know, we give you, you know, my grandmother
47:10
used to say, we give you allowance. You're looking
47:13
for allowances. Praise the Lord. So they gave
47:16
them allowance so that they don't need to turn
47:17
it to something else. They made it a mainstay.
47:20
It's not supposed to be there. John chapter 2
47:23
verse 16, like I've read earlier. They've made
47:26
it a house of merchandise. Right? And we saw
47:30
that Jesus sat down to also teach them. Matthew
47:32
chapter 21 verse 14. He also sat down to teach
47:35
them and he also healed the sick. To show that
47:37
his house is a house of prayer. Zechariah chapter
47:41
10. 14 verse 20 to 21. They were making something
47:46
permanent which is supposed to be temporal. So
47:49
he drove them out. He stopped them from coming
47:51
in and out of the temple. And his disciples remembered
47:54
and they said that the zeal of his father's house
47:57
has consumed him. In Hebrew, that's the passion
48:01
of his father's house has consumed him. So God's
48:05
passion is for all the nations. Praise the Lord.
48:09
But the people have turned it to a business ground.
48:12
They have turned the house of prayer to a business
48:15
ground. God's intention is that all men be saved.
48:21
Praise the Lord. God's intention is that all
48:24
men be saved. You cannot make the house of God
48:27
a place of selling and buying. Because he said
48:30
what? His house is for prayer for all nations.
48:35
Lastly, we read Isaiah. chapter 56. And you know
48:40
when they say house is house of, they have turned
48:42
it to merchandise, it's controlled merchandise.
48:45
Praise the Lord. It means that not even, the
48:48
people that came to pray are not able to sell.
48:50
It's not like they all turn it to a business
48:52
place. Isaiah 56, from verse 4, 5, 6, and 7.
48:57
From verse 4 to 7. Isaiah 50. It says, For thus
49:02
says the Lord, Today you know who keeps my servants
49:04
and shows what pleases me. and hold fast to my
49:08
covenant. Even to him I will give my house, and
49:12
within my wall a place and a name better than
49:15
that of the sons and daughters. I will give them
49:19
an everlasting name. They shall not be cut off.
49:23
Also the son of the foreigner who joined themselves
49:26
to the Lord, to serve him, to love the name of
49:30
the Lord, to be his servant. Everyone who keeps
49:35
from defiling the Sabbath and hold fast my covenant.
49:38
Verse 7. Even them I will bring to my holy mountain
49:42
and make them joyful in my house of prayer. Their
49:47
burnt offering and their sacrifice will be accepted
49:50
at my altar. My house shall be called a house
49:54
of prayer for all nations. Hallelujah. So it
49:58
means that God's house, God's spirit, God's holiness.
50:02
is for everybody. Praise the Lord. Those who
50:06
are qualified or who are not qualified are now
50:09
qualified. He says, do not make it a den of thieves.
50:13
Don't make the things that are supposed to be
50:16
temporary permanent. Right? Do not make it a
50:19
house of merchandise. His holiness is outreach
50:23
to everyone. Right? It goes to everybody. It's
50:28
a house of prayer for all nations. It means that
50:31
all, are qualified. Praise the Lord. It means
50:35
that everybody is qualified. So when you see
50:38
somebody who you know is not qualified as a result
50:41
of who does not know about the qualification
50:45
that God has given, as a result of not believing
50:48
that which Christ has done, you ought to preach
50:51
to them. Praise the Lord. You ought to teach
50:54
them the Word of God. Let's bow our heads as
50:57
we pray. Father, Lord, we bless your name. We
51:01
appreciate you being here today. We hope you
51:04
carry this word with you throughout your week.
51:06
Don't forget to check the show notes for additional
51:09
insights. Stay connected with us through our
51:12
website or follow us on social media. If you
51:15
are encouraged, share this message with someone
51:18
you care about. Until next time, stay blessed.